Bearing structure for conveyer rollers and the like



Aug. 10, 1948. 2,446,616

F. N. SMITH BEARING STRUCTURE FOR CONVEYER ROLLERS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. '7, 1945 nvenfar- Patented Aug. 10, 1948 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE- ammo. s'ranc'maa non comma ROLLERSANDTHELIKEY Franklin N. smiii oeaar Rapids, Iowa Application December '1, 1945, Serial No. 688,317

My invention relates to improved lubricated bearing means for conveyor idler rollers and the like, the primary object of the invention being Other important objects and advantages of my.

invention will be apparent from the following description and the appended drawing, wherein a merely illustrative embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary general vertical longitudinal sectional view showing application of the invention to a belt conveyor idler roller.

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 3 generally designates the belt conveyor idler roller or other rotary element with which my improved bearing means may be applied or incorporated, the said roller having the outer cylinder t secured at its ends to heads 5, in the center of p which are inserted the cup-shaped bearing housing 6 having the reduced inner portion 1 fitted into the axial tube 8 which is circumferentially spaced around the tubular shaft 9, the reduced portion lot the bearing housing also spacedly and concentrically surrounding the shaft'il;

Against the shoulder l defined by the reduced end of the bearing housing is the roller or ball bearing comprising the outer race II which directly abuts said shoulder, and the inner race 12 which fits 0n the reduced portion l3 of the tubular shaft 9 and abuts the shoulder It. The annular space 15 between the bearing races is in communication with the space It between the tube 8 and the shaft 9, and through the hole I! to receive grease or oil from the interior of the tubular shaft 9.

The outer end of the bearing housing 8 has an internal smooth surface to accommodate a cylindrical surface on the outer enlarged diameter of the flange is of the bushing which has an.

inner reduced sleeve it. The space between the flange i9 and the bearing provides an unusually large capacity lubricant containing chamber in direct feeding relation to the bearing.

0n the sleeve ii is a wide fiat helical spring 22, which spirals in a direction opposite that of the rotation of the roller 3 in order to feed the grease in an axially outward direction against the flange I! of the bushing and thereby resist the intrusion 2 Claims. (chaos-187.1) j

of dirt and other foreign matter into the bearing structure through or around the bushing. The flatness and relatively great width of, the spring 22 and its radial extension substantially across the annular space betweenthe sleeve 2! and the sidewall of the bearing, provides positive lubricant feeding action of the spring throughout the cross section of said annular space, with consequent greater effectiveness. The inner end of the springtmay bear against the bearing races ii and I2.

The helical-spring 22 is fixed as by welding or other suitable means. to the flange is of the bushing so that it will turn with the bushing, and for similar reasons the nut 23 is similarly fixed to the flange is of the bushing. The nut 23 is threaded on the axially outward end of the tubular shaft 9. to hold the bushing and spring in place, with the inner end of the sleeve 2| against the inner hearing race l2, once the bushing has been turned in to that position.

A pressure grease fitting 25 is threaded in the axially outward end of the tubular shaft 8 to enable introducing the lubricant under pressure into the assembly. It is obvious that the turning of the bearing 6 relative to the spring 22 tends to rotate the grease in the housing in the same direction while the spring remains stationary. This gives the same effect as if the bearing housing were stationary and the spring rotated, whereby the grease is forcibly fed toward the flange for the desired sealing effect. The forced feeding of the grease draws the grease through the bearings, thereby providing means for forced circulation of the lubricant to the bearings of the idlers. Bearing mountings of this type are particularly adapted for troughing rollers and idlers, particularly of belt conveyors and the like.

I claim:

1; In a bearing assembly comprising a hollow shaft, a cup-shaped housing surrounding an end of said shaft, a ball bearing operatively disposed between said shaft and said housing, said shaft and housing having annular shoulders locating said ball bearing relative thereto, a bushing having a flange surrounding said shaft within said housing, said bushing holding said bearing against said shaft shoulder, the flange of said bushing peripherally contacting said housing and being-spaced from said bearing to provide at the outer end of said bearing an annular space within said housing, and a helical spring within said annular space loosely circumposed upon said bushing, said spring being spiraled in a direction opposite to thedirection of rotation of said hous ingrelativetosaidshaitto thereby iorcibly feed lubricant present in the latter space toward the 2. In a bearing assembly comprising a hollow shattadsptedtocontainlubricantanopenended hollow tube arranged concentrically with respect tosaidshaitandspocedi'mmthelattersoas to form a spaoe'therebetwcen, there being ahole in said shit for establishing communication between the latter and said space, a cup-shaped housing having-a reduced inner portionsin-rounding an endo! said shalt. said reduced portion being received within the complements-l end oi. ,said tube, a ball bearing operatively disposed between said shaft and said housing, said shalt and housing having annular shoulders locating said ball bearing relative thereto. a bushing having a time surrounding said shaft within said housing, said bushing holding said bearing against said shaft shoulder. the flange of said bushing peripha 4 v erallycontaetingsaidhousing andbeingapaced ironisaidbesringtoprovideattheouterendoi saidbearinganannularspacewithmsaidhousing.andahelicalspringwithinsaidannuiar space loosely circumposed upon said bushing. said spring being spiraled in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said housing relative to said shaft to thereby forcibly feed the lubricant present in the latter space toward the bearing.

7 FRANKIJN N. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED ll'he following references are of record in the tile 01' this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Pfleegor -Jan. 3. 1028 

